Hugs and kisses as Israel-US hostage Edan Alexander is freed: ‘We were so worried'
Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander was freed on Monday.
There was a brief pause in the fighting to facilitate his release.
Israeli strikes killed three people when fighting resumed.
An Israeli-American hostage was released from 19 months of captivity in Gaza during a brief pause in fighting on Monday and reunited with his family, but Israeli strikes on the battered enclave soon resumed.
Israel's military received Edan Alexander, 21, from the International Committee of the Red Cross, which facilitated his transfer from Palestinian militant group Hamas.
He was taken to an Israeli military facility and joined by his family.
Video showed that his mother, Yael Alexander, cried as she hugged him, saying: 'How strong you are. I love you so much, Edan. We were so worried.'
Alexander kissed and embraced his father, brother and sister as well. An Israeli Air Force helicopter then took Alexander and his family to a hospital where he was to receive treatment.
Alexander was the last living American held by Hamas and Israel's Channel 12 said his condition was 'low', without citing a source. In photos provided by Israel, he looked pale but in good spirits.
Fighting halted at 12:00 in Gaza after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would pause its operations to allow for the hostage release.
Palestinian health officials reported Israeli tank shelling and an air attack after the hostage handover, and there was no deal on a wider truce or hostage releases as monitors warned of famine in the devastated enclave.
After Israeli fire resumed, authorities in Gaza said an air strike killed three people and wounded several others at a shelter housing displaced families in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.
A woman was killed and several other people wounded when tank shells hit a school housing displaced families in the Tuffah neighbourhood in the north of Gaza.
Hamas said it freed Alexander as a goodwill gesture to US President Donald Trump, who is visiting the region this week.
'Edan Alexander, American hostage thought dead, to be released by Hamas. Great news!' Trump wrote on social media earlier on Monday.
READ | Two Israel soldiers killed amid 'fierce fighting' with Hamas in Gaza
Netanyahu said Alexander's release came thanks to Israel's military pressure in Gaza and political pressure by Trump.
In a photo taken on the military helicopter and released by Israel, Alexander held a sign reading: 'Thank you, president Trump.'
Netanyahu has said there will be no ceasefire and that plans to intensify military action in Gaza continued.
'Israel has not committed to a ceasefire of any kind,' Netanyahu's office said.
After growing up in New Jersey, Alexander, who has dual citizenship, moved to Israel and was serving in the Israeli army when he was captured in Hamas' 2023 attack.
#UPDATE Palestinian militant group Hamas said its armed wing handed over a US-Israeli hostage held in Gaza since October 2023 ahead of a regional visit by US President Donald Trump https://t.co/MXyzLQGgUH
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) May 12, 2025
Social media video on Monday showed people dancing in the square of his hometown of Tenafly, New Jersey, after word of his release.
The release, after four-way talks between Hamas, the US, Egypt and Qatar, could open the way to freeing the remaining 58 hostages in the Gaza Strip, 19 months after Hamas' attack on Israel on 7 October 2023.
Qatar and Egypt said Alexander's release was an encouraging step toward new truce talks. Israel will send a delegation to Qatar on Thursday to discuss a new proposal aimed at securing further hostage releases, Netanyahu's office said.
Before Alexander's release, Gaza health authorities said an Israeli strike killed at least 15 people sheltering at a school on Monday. Israel's military said it targeted Hamas fighters there who were preparing an attack.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a global hunger monitor, reported on Monday that half a million people in the Gaza Strip face starvation and there is a critical risk of famine by September.
Trump is due to visit Gulf states on a trip that does not include Israel but special envoy Steve Witkoff, who helped arrange Alexander's release, was expected in Israel on Monday.
Alexander's family thanked Trump and Witkoff, saying they hoped the release would hasten the freeing of the remaining hostages.
'We urge the Israeli government and the negotiating teams: please don't stop,' they said.
Israel's government has drawn criticism over the deal to free Alexander, which laid bare the priority given to hostages able to rely on the support of a foreign government.
Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan is among 21 hostages still believed to be alive, said Netanyahu was choosing his political survival over ending the war.
Addressing Trump in a statement she read with other hostage families, she said: 'The Israeli people are behind you. End this war. Bring them all home.'
A ceasefire in late January halted fighting in Gaza for two months and allowed the exchange of 38 hostages for Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israeli jails.
Israel resumed its military campaign in March.
It has since extended its control of the territory and blocked off aid, leaving its two million people increasingly short of food.
Israeli forces invaded Gaza after a Hamas-led assault on Israel in October 2023 that killed 1 200 people and saw 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.
Since then, over 52 000 Palestinians have been killed, Palestinian authorities say, and large swathes of the heavily built-up enclave have been laid to waste.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
26 minutes ago
- CNN
5 things to know for June 12: Nationwide protests, Gaza, Immigration, Vaccines, Harvey Weinstein
Syria has issued a conservative dress code for women who want to go swimming or just hang out by the water. From now on, women must wear burkinis (swimwear that covers their full body) at public beaches and pools as well as cover-ups or robes while en route. The new regulations, which were signed by interim Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, reflect the influence of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Islamist coalition now leading the country's transitional government. It's unclear what the repercussions will be for breaking the rules. Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day. Get '5 Things' in your inbox If your day doesn't start until you're up to speed on the latest headlines, then let us introduce you to your new favorite morning fix. Sign up here for the '5 Things' newsletter. Demonstrations against the Trump administration's immigration crackdown have continued to spread across the US. On Wednesday, police in New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle and Spokane, Washington, arrested dozens of anti-ICE protesters. An overnight curfew was enacted for a second night in downtown LA to 'stop bad actors who are taking advantage of the President's chaotic escalation,' LA Mayor Karen Bass wrote on X. A similar curfew was also announced in Spokane. More than 1,800 'No Kings' events to protest the administration's actions are scheduled to take place on Saturday, the same day as President Donald Trump's military parade in Washington, DC. Ahead of that parade, Trump told reporters that any protesters should be prepared to be met with a show of force. A bus carrying more than two dozen workers from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a controversial US and Israeli-backed aid initiative, was attacked late Wednesday. 'We are still gathering facts, but what we know is devastating: there are at least five fatalities, multiple injuries, and fear that some of our team members may have been taken hostage,' the GHF said in a statement. The aid group accused Hamas of carrying out the assault; the militant group has not yet responded to the allegations. The GHF was established amid Israeli accusations that Hamas is stealing aid in Gaza and profiting off its sale but the organization has been controversial from the get-go and criticized by multiple international aid agencies. Also on Wednesday night, the Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet security agency announced the recovery of two deceased hostages during a military operation. A federal judge has granted Mahmoud Khalil's habeas corpus petition and blocked the Trump administration from continuing to detain the former Columbia University graduate student. During the 2024 demonstrations on campus, Khalil served as a liaison between students protesting the treatment of Palestinians in Gaza and school administrators. He was one of the first in a series of high-profile arrests of pro-Palestinian student activists caught up in the Trump administration's effort to crack down on antisemitism on college campuses and his detention sparked protests across the US. In the three months he was imprisoned in Louisiana, Khalil missed his own graduation and the birth of his first son. In other immigration news, Khaby Lame, the world's most popular TikTok personality and a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF, has left the US after being detained at the airport by immigration agents in Las Vegas for allegedly overstaying his visa. Earlier this week, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed the entire panel of vaccine advisers that guides the CDC on the vaccine schedule and required coverage of immunizations. On Wednesday, he appointed eight new members, including several prominent critics of the government's Covid-19 response. Kennedy's overhaul of the panel has drawn rebukes from physicians, nurses, former health officials and the American Medical Association. The AMA even adopted a resolution calling for Kennedy to reverse his decision to remove the previous panel members. 'With an ongoing measles outbreak and routine child vaccination rates declining, this move will further fuel the spread of vaccine-preventable illnesses,' AMA President Dr. Bruce Scott said in a statement. A jury in New York convicted former movie studio boss Harvey Weinstein of forcibly subjecting a woman to a criminal sex act in 2006. Although Weinstein, 73, was acquitted of another sex crime, jurors will continue deliberating today on a third charge that he allegedly raped another woman in 2013. In 2020, Weinstein was convicted of sex crimes and sentenced to 23 years in prison in New York; however, in 2024, the state's highest court awarded him a new trial. Weinstein was also convicted of sex crimes in 2022 and sentenced to prison in California; he is currently appealing that case. Air India flight to London crashes with 242 on boardAn Air India flight bound for London crashed shortly after taking off from an airport in India's western city of Ahmedabad. There were 242 passengers and crew members on board. The plane was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, according to Flightradar24. Character actor Harris Yulin dead at 87The Emmy-nominated stage and screen actor appeared in the TV shows 'Frasier' and 'Ozark,' on Broadway and in numerous movies, including 'Scarface' and 'Ghostbusters II.' Former MTV VJ Ananda Lewis dead at 52Lewis was a fixture on MTV's programming in the 1990s and also had her own talk show. She shared her cancer journey with CNN last year. Thieves break into Macklemore's homeSeattle police are investigating the incident at the rapper's house. A nanny was attacked during the burglary but three children in the house were reportedly unharmed. Surprise! That's some unique studying 6,000-year-old skeletons found in the Eastern Colombian Andes made an interesting discovery: the subjects belonged to a previously unknown population. 'I'm missing you like mad'A love letter written by John Lennon to his first wife will be up for auction next month. The four-page missive is expected to fetch more than $50,000. $7 millionThat's at least how much the Department of Education is paying per month to employees who were forced to go on leave. 'We want peace for Ukraine. Despite weeks of diplomatic attempts, despite (Ukraine's) President (Volodymyr) Zelensky's offer of an unconditional ceasefire, Russia continues to bring death and destruction to Ukraine. Russia's goal is not peace, it is to impose the rule of might.' — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, after the European Union announced a new package of sanctions against Russia. Check your local forecast here>>> 'There's a cost to grace''Lights Out: Nat 'King' Cole,' a new play starring Dulé Hill ('The West Wing,' 'The Wonder Years'), explores the trials and triumphs of the late crooner.
Chicago Tribune
an hour ago
- Chicago Tribune
Ald. Brendan Reilly: You can't separate anti-Zionism from antisemitism — and we must stop pretending you can
Our Jewish brothers and sisters are under siege in America. That's not hyperbole — that's fact. In recent months, the escalation of antisemitic violence has been horrifying. These are not online threats or symbolic protests — they are physical, targeted and fueled by a vicious ideology masquerading as activism. During Passover this year, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro — one of the most prominent Jewish governors in America — sat down with his family for Seder in the governor's mansion. Outside, someone threw a firebomb into the house. Just weeks later, a Chicagoan yelled, 'Free Palestine,' as he gunned down two Israeli nationals in broad daylight outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., authorities say. In Boulder, Colorado, a man shouting 'Free Palestine' hurled Molotov cocktails into a crowd of Jewish seniors — including a Holocaust survivor — who were participating in a peaceful event to raise awareness for hostages held by Hamas. Eight people were injured. This is not a coincidence. This is a pattern. And the common thread is this: These victims were not targeted based on their political views. They were targeted simply because they are Jews. Let's be clear: There has never been a meaningful distinction between anti-Zionism and antisemitism. Anti-Zionism claims to oppose a government, but victims of hate crimes are never screened for their opinion of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or the Likud party. No one asked those seniors in Boulder what they thought of Israeli settlement policy. No one asked Shapiro's children whether they support a two-state solution. They were simply Jewish — and therefore, in the eyes of the attackers, legitimate targets. This is not geopolitics. It is bigotry. And it's now being mainstreamed by far-left activists and social media echo chambers that treat Jewish identity as interchangeable with state power — a grotesque and dangerous lie. Worse yet, the Democratic Party has lurched ever leftward in recent years. It has become home to a growing number of far-left extremists who excuse these hateful acts of violence as a 'noble cause.' The violence is rising. Roughly 23 million Americans — about 9% of adults — believe force is justified against government officials, a 2023 survey by the University of Chicago's Project on Security reported. While that number is alarming across the board, what's even more concerning is that support for political violence now spans the ideological spectrum. Of the 23 million, 7.6 million identify as Democrats and 4.8 million as independents. Political violence is no longer a uniquely right-wing threat. The Boulder firebombing wasn't an outlier. It's part of a growing wave of violent extremism dressed in the language of 'resistance.' Jewish students at the University of California-Los Angeles have been physically prevented from attending class. Across college campuses, mobs shout, 'From the river to the sea,' and post lists of 'Zionists' for public harassment. Now is a moment that demands moral clarity — especially from Democratic Party leaders. If we believe in equality, dignity and pluralism, then we must also believe that violence against Jews — under any banner — has no place in American life. That means speaking up. That means drawing the line. That means saying, without euphemism or apology, that antisemitism cloaked as anti-Zionism is still antisemitism. When someone chants 'Free Palestine' while lighting Jewish people on fire, this is not a misunderstanding of policy — it's an embrace of hate. There is no such thing as anti-Zionism without antisemitism. In the real world — not in theory, but in practice — the two are indistinguishable. When anti-Zionism licenses dehumanization, mob intimidation, firebombings and terror, then it is not opposition to a government. It is a campaign of hate against a people. The mask has slipped. And it's time my fellow leaders in the Democratic Party stopped pretending otherwise.
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Chaos Inside an Immigration Courthouse, and Israel Appears Ready to Attack Iran
Hosted by Michael Simon Johnson Produced and edited by Will Jarvis and Michael Simon Johnson Produced by Jessica Metzger Featuring Luis Ferré-Sadurní Inside a Courthouse, Chaos and Tears as Trump Accelerates Deportations, by Luis Ferré-Sadurní Kennedy Announces Eight New Members of C.D.C. Vaccine Advisory Panel, by Sheryl Gay Stolberg E.P.A. Axes Biden's Climate and Pollution Limits on Power Plants, by Lisa Friedman Israel Appears Ready to Attack Iran, Officials in U.S. and Europe Say, by Michael Crowley, David E. Sanger, Farnaz Fassihi and Eric Schmitt After a Wild Day in Court, Weinstein Jurors Will Resume Deliberations, by Hurubie Meko Brian Wilson, Pop Auteur and Leader of the Beach Boys, Dies at 82, by Ben Sisario Tune in, and tell us what you think at theheadlines@ For corrections, email nytnews@ For more audio journalism and storytelling, download the New York Times Audio app — available to Times news subscribers on iOS — and sign up for our weekly newsletter.
